I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.

Folks laugh when I say it all boils down to greed. They say I should just shut up and except it… there is nothing we can do to change it… it is a business. Please explain why one player needs $330M? Please explain why owners have to pocket billions in profits? Please explain why players cannot show a little loyalty, rather than jump from team to team to make more millions? They cannot take it with them when they die. Not only are minor leaguers barely making a living wage, so are the MLB Pioneers, who struggled to make a living, had to serve their country during WWII, returned from battle and struggle somemore, yet they still managed to pave the way for the spoiled players of today. And now, many of these retired pioneers are stuggling to make ends meet, while these selfish millionaires laugh to the bank… majority of these players today don’t even know who these pioneeers are, or were.Many Fans spend their entire paychecks to come out to the park, buy their jerseys and tee-shirts, stuff their face, and watch these millionaires play a boring example of the game of baseball, just praying that their Dodgers will someday bring the WS trophy home to LA.

Some fans are happy that the Dodgers were not suckered into landing Harper. Some fans say the Dodgers are cheap, and should have given Harper what he wanted. Well, do people know that with MLB profit sharing, the the Dodgers have to surrender a large portion of their gate receipts to lower market clubs? … how else could teams like Miami, Philadelphia, and San Diego afford these monsterous salaries? So, whether or not Harper landed in Dodger Stadium, the fans still end up paying his salary.

It is a shame that baseball has come to this…. yet I am still a Dodger Fan. Go figure. I should be ashamed of myself.

Complaint, after complaint, after complaint. Is this what you want to read from other posters? You realize that nothing is going to change because you voice your complaints on a web forum. How very boring it is for many others to read these kinds of posts. How many times does it need to be said?

“It is a shame that baseball has come to this…. yet I am still a Dodger Fan. Go figure. I should be ashamed of myself.”

I’m with you on this.

Like so many fans, you understand there is a morality issue with today’s game, but have you taken a stand against it? Without the minions who prostrate themselves at the feet of MLB worship, this would not be happening. These egos have grown only because we continue to feed them. In many ways it’s become a theater of the absurd.

I’m out. After 60 years of support, and with FCI skyrocketing each year, I’m done giving MLB any of my money. I still love the game, and if I could still play I would. I’ll support local youth programs, but I’ve seen enough of MLB in person.

That said, I will in all likelihood follow the Dodgers and along with all Dodger fans I hope they find their way to another championship before I throw down the reins. But I’ll leave jersey buying and $270 in attendance fees to others.

I love the game, and I love the team. But I am not spending another cent on them. I cancelled everything. Anything I buy that is baseball related is not going to MLB at all. I have some cards I still want to get, and I buy them on EBAY. The only guys is the minors who have any money are those drafted in the first round or signed from another country and given a large bonus. But most are paid less than 1000 a month. That’s a little less than I get on SSA. And if I am having trouble getting by, they have to depend on the charity of others, or by having multiple room mates to make it cost efficient. Their diets cannot be all that great either. Not may steaks served at McDonalds.

I don’t think there’s so much cause for so much cynicism. Would you prefer to go back to the days of the reserve clause? With modern free agency, players are free to negotiate their contracts and enter into an agreement with the team of their choice. It boils down to supply and demand. There is a limited supply of players such as Harper, and the demand for services of star players who add value to a team is higher than a AA player.

I recall Badger arguing a while back that stars are important to sign because stars “put butts in the seats.” Ok, but they cost money. Is it too much money? Do players make so much and owners make so much that it has corrupted the game? I don’t think so. Maybe Harper valued his contract over winning somewhat, but that was his choice.

And if minor leaguers don’t make much, have the players union take up the issue. That’s their job. Personally I don’t think minor league players should make much. Why? If you want to make it to the big leagues and become a star, you have to pay your dues. You have to work hard and struggle to make it. That’s why reaching your dreams is worthy, because you struggled to get there. Being a minor league player should not be a career. You figure out if you have what it takes to make it. If you don’t, you get out and get a real job but have fond memories of having given it your best shot. ….btw…that reminds me of the character in Field of Dreams. …the Burt Lancaster character. You bitter old men ought to go watch that movie. It’s a good one.

I don’t think baseball is broken. It’s better than it’s ever been. The Dodger organization is better than ever. It’s still a great game with a new generation of fans and advocates who get into the weeds of analysis. It might be on the decline because of changing demographics…because millennials ruin everything…but it’s a good time to be a baseball fan.

The NFL, on the other hand…I’m out. No longer a fan. If they condone disrespecting my country, they don’t get my money.

It is their choice. And it is managements choice whether or not they are willing to pay the price. The Dodgers offered a lot of money, but not the years. Basically the same thing that happened with Greinke. Az offered that 6th year and he took it. We are not bitter Patch, not by a long shot, we just are not going to pay the extravagant price it costs nowadays to go to a major league game. And I have seen Field of Dreams probably as many, if not more times than you have. And I have been there. I never got to play catch but a couple of times with my son because he lived with his mom in another state, and my dad was not around after I was six, so I never got to play catch with him at all. But I understand the beauty of the game. I played the game for years, have been a Dodger fan for over 60 years, so I think that some of us have earned the right to be a little upset or disturbed with the way the game is today. I am going to California in a couple of weeks to visit my sis and help out because she is recovering from knee surgery. Last year when I was out there, we went to Dodger Stadium on the 4th of July to see them play the Pirates. 5 seats in nosebleed country and parking was 340.00. She got reserved handicap parking because of her knee. Add in the 100.00 spent on hot dogs and such, and that is close to 500 bucks for one nights entertainment. Hell, I have been to country music concerts where I never paid more than 35.00 dollars for a seat. A couple of weeks later, we went out to Rancho to see the Dodgers A team the Quakes. Saw Jeren Kendall play, and was not impressed. But 5 seats for that game, 65 bucks, and parking was free because of her disability. Probably 65 bucks on dogs and such. Much more affordable. So if we do go to a game this year, it will be out in Rancho. She gets the Dodger games on her cable, so I can watch from there. I live too far away from Denver to attend games at Coors. But my son and I go once in a while. Seats are a lot cheaper than Dodger Stadium. The game has changed a lot, and not all of the changes are for the good. But it is still a great game. Just at this point in time, way out of my price range.

Very good Patch, enjoyed and agreed with your take and the presentation of it.

The MLB, NBA and NFL have not gotten my cash for years, and they won’t in the future. I don’t subscribe to any special TV packages as well. I do pay for a 24IPTV streaming service that costs like 50 bucks a year (yes 12 months) and it gets all the MLB, NBA and NFL plus F1, etc. (btw, NBA is really an unwatchable game to me. The Lebron Lakers I won’t even follow the standings either)

You pay fifty bucks a year to stream every game?!!…and F1?! I’d sign up for that in heartbeat. I don’t even watch TV…just Amazon Prime, Netflix and YouTube. I don’t understand how Time Warner cable isn’t bankrupt.

Try http://www.strikeout.nu
Every game, every day. All sports, all teams.
If you have a large screen computer, perfect. You can also hook it up to a smart tv and watch on a large screen. No cable fees. I live so far from any ballpark that I couldn’t go if I wanted to.

Like Badger, I stopped forking over any $$ to go to games more than 15 years ago, but I was never someone who bought team/player jerseys and paraphernalia. That’s for kids. I find enjoyment watching games on my couch. No parking, no fatty foods, just my beautiful wife laughing at me and wondering why someone would waste his time watching this stuff.

Yes, I pay something like 50 a year. I get all sports from around the world, even all soccer leagues (haven’t watched those). Check it out Patch. I’ve used 247 IPTV for the last two years and have no complaints at all.

Just to be clear I don’t have a problem with the supply and demand aspect of the game. As a former business owner I get it and I support the basic concept. There is OBVIOUSLY enough money in the game to see to it EVERYBODY involved gets rich. The problem that I have is there appears to be very little gratitude and respect coming back from these millionaires and billionaires. I see a blatant in your face “ “fu*k all you all” attitude, from the owners to most on the field. There is zero humility in guys like Harper and Machado. $300 million and we get the smirks. No thank you. I’ve just made what I consider to be a conscious decision not to support their inflated egos. If that makes me a bitter old man as someone suggested then I accept the fact that that particular someone is being judgmental and am not the least bit surprised by it.

Do I want to go back to days of the reserve clause? 1974? Yeah, you bet. I was 26, had gone back to college, I was playing a lot of ball, college and tournament softball, and I hadn’t yet made the second biggest mistake in my life – marrying that incredibly exotic but batshit crazy woman in ‘78.

I have better things to do with my hard earned money than to line the pockets of self indulgent millionaires. But I understand why others do. Hey, I did it for years.

I am so glad that I am not the only die hard Dodger fan who is disappointed in the direction Dodger baseball and MLB are trending. I may tend to be a bit cynical at times, but I do not own a pair of rose colored glasses, and my stomach turns at some of these overly optimistic posts. I guess I’m just a grumpy old man.

I have been to a few games, but only with free tickets. I take the Metro because I hate the traffic and parking situation at McCourt’s caotic parking lot.

It is nice to see a live game once in a while. Never been to Rancho Cucamonga before, but plan to make a trip someday. I see you made it out to the nosebleed section…. I Bet you still bled Dodger Blue.

The season starts soon. Let’s hope the Dodgers are going to be ready. I am surprised that the regulars do not play much in ST. With all those fields out there, the previosly unemployed “invitees” and “Dumpster Diamonds” should be playing in the other minor league games going on at Camelback. Once again, I feel the Dodger regulars are not going to be game ready, come opening day. Another slow start is on the horizon. They should concentrate on conditioning in real game situations…. Start the season firing on all cylinders, like a well oiled machine.

Hey Blue. Make that trip sooner rather than later. You will really enjoy the atmosphere and the ball park it self. The price is right. If you go to a day game, try to be on the 3rd base side of the ball park because the sun can be brutal in the summer. Night games are very pleasant. Box seats run about 13 dollars apiece and that is for the lower field boxes. Last time we were in the 3rd row right next to the visiting dugout. Former Dodger Joe Thurston who was a coach with the visiting team signed my program the last time I was there. They have garlic fries which at Dodger Stadium are 9 bucks and cost 5 at Rancho. Some of the players scheduled to be on that roster include Jordan Sheffield, Connor Wong, Omar Estevez, Christian Santana, and Jeren Kendall……they have 2 team mascots who entertain the crowd, Tremor and Aftershock. They both look like dinosaurs. Kids on the field playing games for prizes. Lots of fun and a beautiful setting for a game.

Let me just say this as far as All Stars Dodgers for this year…Ross Stripling will NOT be one of them after his meltdown in last year’s ASG, allowing back to back HR’s that basically took the NL out of the game. I kind of doubt that Stripling would ever see an ASG again…

Times and costs have changed indeed. I recall when living in Orange County, Calif. I did go to many many games, have been a fan of Dodgers since 1965 and one may laugh but I used to get pavilion seats for only $6.00! I can also say that throughout my time in Calif. i at one time or another have been fortunate to sit in just about every level of DS. I moved to Oregon in 2004 so going to live games is not too possible, the last time I was in So.Calif. to see a game at DS was on June 30, 2014. I too would not be able to afford today’s total price just to see 1 game. I can only say this at the outset for 2019…and that is I don’t fully agree with MLB Networks “30 Clubs in 30 Days’ saying this year’s team will be better than the last 2. I just don’t see that yet but won’t get into specifics. A disturbing thing I did hear Roberts say was they intend on fully going the route of ‘mix and matching’ as far as lineups go…….They say it worked in the regular season but I wonder what happened to this team when games mattered the most.. such as those WS games…

Hey Paul – did you go to school in OC? I lived and worked there until I moved north to go to college. I think I spent as much time at Angel Stadium. Cheap seats and even cheaper beer.

Nice card Bear. I gave all mine away. I gave a signed Ernie Banks card to a die hard Cubs fan here in town. Young guy, waiter, worked at a couple hangouts that I frequented. He loved talking baseball. You should have seen his face when I handed him that Banks card as a tip. Priceless.

Absolutely incredible that the Dodgers were considered a top 10 farm system on nine different lists, ranked both every preseason and midseason. They are the only team to appear on all nine of these lists.

Also, despite that ninny at dodger_therapy claiming Friedman destroyed his arm, Julio Urias struck out three in two innings and was clocked as high as 98 mph, but he also allowed a solo homer to Evan Longoria.